


Royal Birthdays

by MizuLeKitten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Birthday Party, Fluff, Formal Parties, Humor, Informal Parties, Karaoke, Keith's Friends Are Little Shits and He Loves Them Very Much, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 17:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuLeKitten/pseuds/MizuLeKitten
Summary: Birthday's had always been an up and down experience, and life as Prince Consort made it an even more extreme up and down. With friends like his, and a wonderful husband to boot, he can still enjoy his birthday, and have a few shenanigans to help it along.





	Royal Birthdays

**Author's Note:**

> This was for the Keith birthday exchange, and its... late. I hope it was worth the wait.

Keith had never felt a particular way about his birthday. When his father was alive, they'd celebrated it with an extra plate of whatever he was craving, a new handmade toy, and a drive around the desert. When his father died, none of his birthday's were right, even in the families that tried. His friends had hit a lot closer, reminding him that birthdays were supposed to be  _ fun _ .

Court events made him hate birthdays.

He knew that public appearance was important, especially for the King and his Prince Consort, but he still loathed them. So many people claiming to celebrate his birthday when all they really wanted was to rub elbows and manipulate each other. It was all base flattery and empty promises. Worst of all? He was forced to be on show the whole time.

It wasn't  _ all _ that bad, he guessed as he looked out over the crowd of people mingling. It was his third year of these events, and most people had realized that Keith wasn't the  _ best _ conversationalist. Stars abound knew he tried, but he could never master the many intricacies of Noble Communication. No amount of lessons had helped, and exposure only seemed to do more harm than good.

"Having fun?" Keith startled, hand instinctively going to his waist (a habit he was never going to kick) before laughter like bells had him calming.

"Allura."

"Keith," she teased as she pushed her skirt out so that she could sit beside him. "You didn't answer my question; it's  _ very _ rude to ignore a lady."

"My apologies," he said, "I hadn't realized a lady approached me."

That got a snort of laughter from her, and she punched him playfully (still strong enough to jostle him) in retaliation. "No wonder people aren't fawning of you, so brash." She hung her head, as if sad on his part.

Keith rolled his eyes, "because that's something I've  _ always _ wanted."

"Still content with your oh so wonderful husband?"

"Jealous I got him and you didn't?"

"Oh  _ yes _ . Horribly so. I'll have to write to the papers to slander your name." If she had made the joke three years ago, when their engagement was first announced, Keith would have bristled. So many people had spoken out against him, people Keith had never met, but now had to smile at for his own  _ birthday. _

It wasn’t three years ago, and while Keith was horrible at communicating with nobles, he  _ was  _ confident in one thing.

"Think you're a little late on trying to break us up." No one could come between him and Lotor.

As if on cue, Lotor appeared by his side, an amused glint to his eyes as he spoke, "Trying to break who up? Keith, is there something I should know about?"

"Bad news, Lotor," Keith sighed as Allura giggled behind her fan, "we have to get divorced because Allura says so."

"Such ill timing, and I had just ordered those sweets you had been craving. Evidently, I must cancel the order."

"What? No!" Keith reached out to grab Lotor's arm. He’s been having cravings for ages now, and he wasn’t going to miss it because of a  _ joke. _ "Allura’s opinion doesn’t matter."

“Well, thanks,” Allura drawled from their right.

A beat.

They all broke out laughing. Allura held her fan higher, trying to conceal her fit to no avail, Lotor chuckled amiably along with the rest, and Keith didn't care how many people heard him -- he was happy and in love.

"Is it safe to assume divorce is postponed?" Lotor smiled down at them both.

"Until next year, of course," Allura piped up, wiping a tear from her eye. “Then I’ll renew my efforts to break apart the  _ wicked  _ couple.

"Of course," Lotor parroted before leaning down to catch Keith's lips in a quick kiss. "Since we have dashed Allura’s heinous plots for the time being, I wished to inform you that it is now socially acceptable for you to leave."

"Oh thank the stars," Keith sagged into his chair. He always did his best in meetings, was attentive and outspoken and confident, but parties were not meetings. Parties were where people tried to suck up to each other, said the opposite of what they meant, and expected everything to work a certain way. Parties were the enemy. "Can you leave too?" He couldn't help but be hopeful despite knowing the answer.

"Not yet, dear," he helped Keith and Allura stand, "the king's duties never end. I'll return to our chambers soon."

"Okay," Keith hugged Lotor, kissing him on the cheek before making a hasty exit. He couldn’t wait to change.

~*~

Keith laughed as his friends yelled surprise around him, confetti was shot out and becoming one with his hair. He wasn’t in the same attire as he was the night before. He was wearing his favorite t-shirt and pants, the crop top jacket his father bought him all that time ago resting on his shoulders. He wasn’t on display, so he could relax.

And relaxed he is.

This party had happened since the very first year of being a Prince Consort, when his birthday because an affair instead of a celebration. Years of Shiro building Keith up, and Lance crashing through, all to get him to celebrate his birthday seemed like it was for nothing that first year. All over again, he hated it.

Then they had surprised him, just like this. There was a banner hanging across one of the common rooms, food set up on the side, a karaoke machine, board games, drinks, everything he could ever ask for in a birthday.

Lance had said it was so all their hard work of getting him to open up wouldn’t be for nothing. Keith knew it was because Lance was a sap.

Despite it happening twice before he still can’t help the face splitting grin as his friends surround him. It had been a few weeks since he was able to see any of them in person. He didn’t have many jobs as a Prince, but he still tried to do  _ something.  _ Inactivity made him itchy. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of him going out and helping different programs at animal shelters, schools, libraries, orphanages, food banks, and the like. Being rich was a luxury he wasn’t going to let himself take for granted.

But for now he didn’t have to think about that, or the party that had been held the night before. Lance made some declaration to start with karaoke, saving the board games for later (no monopoly. There was too many geniuses in their group for Keith or Lance to even attempt at winning.) The others agreed, and Keith didn’t mind. He likes singing.

“Keith has to sing the first song,” Pidge piped up, turning around to shoot a grin as they made their way over. It was tradition. The birthday person always sang the first song to start the occasion.

“Oh! I have the perfect song,” Lance dived over the couch, grabbing for the data pad there.

“No fair,” Hunk plopped down beside him, “you picked last time.”

“And the time before that,” Shiro tacked on.

“ _ And  _ the time before that,” Allura said, taking the spot on the other side of Lance.

“They’re always good songs, though.”

“Nope!” Pidge snatched the data pad from Lance’s hands, glasses glinting as she flopped down next to Allura. They huddled over the device, scouring through the songs on there.

Keith didn’t know what they had in store, but it couldn’t be worse than last year, when Lance made him sing  _ Barbie Girl.  _ He also had props afterwards, handing Lotor a hair brush and a somehow perfectly fitting set of clothes to try on. (Lotor had enjoyed brushing his hair as the others sang).

An all too familiar beat began to come from the speakers, and Keith groaned, “no.”

Allura and Pidge grinned at him, two devils working together for their nefarious deeds, “ _ yes. _ ”

“I refuse. I’m not doing it.”

“Nuh uh, Keefers,” Pidge sung out, “that’s not how first songs of the night work, and you know it.”

Was this payback for when Keith went to a dog sanctuary without her? They had needed the extra help and money! He had wanted to help!  _ Maybe  _ he should have thought over the sending her pictures of every single dog bit more, but he had thought she’d like them!

Or maybe this was Allura’s payback for the dinner they had a few nights ago, when he had tripped while walking and knocked over a drink, spilling it onto her dress. It  _ was  _ her favorite dress. He had apologized for that profusely, and Allura knew he had felt super guilty over it!

Maybe it had nothing to do with  _ any  _ of that, and it was simply them knowing they could get away with it. After all, under his harsh exterior, they all knew he was a softy and weak for them.

Jerks.

“Come on, Keith,” Shiro joined in, and  _ that  _ he knew was payback for the song Keith chose on Shiro’s birthday, “you know the rules.”

“Fine,” he rolled his eyes, rising to his feet and shucking off his jacket. Cheers sounded around him, and Hunk handed him the mic. The song restarted.

“You’re sexy and you know it, Keith!” Allura called out, prompting giggles from them all.

Keith grinned despite himself, “ _ Yeah… yeah. _ ”

Allura laughed harder, curling into Lance’s side to muffle the noises. The other had no such qualms of letting his laughter be heard (nor did any of the others) as Keith used the start of the song as his answer. Even Lotor was smiling at their antics.

It was going to be a long, but great night.

~*~

“Did you have fun?” Lotor asked as he read through his book. The history of another ancient civilization. Soon, Lotor would be trying to learn the language, and Keith knew he’d have a husband who he didn’t understand at his side.

It had happened before, as Lotor tried to immerse himself. While it was confusing, Keith loved that Lotor was comfortable enough to do these things around him. He knew, after all, how difficult it was to trust someone with one’s interests, especially when they had been spurned so many times before. He’s not sure where he’d be without his friends proving time and time again that they weren’t like the tormentors of his past.

He was sure Lotor felt the same with his own friends (Ezor, Axca, Zethrid, and Narti. They hadn’t been able to attend Keith’s  _ actual  _ party, but he knew they’d find some way to surprise him. Ezor and Zethrid were tricksters, and as much as Narti may seem to be innocent and mature, she helped them more often than not. Only Axca had some semblance of sanity when it came to Keith’s birthdays, but even she did little to nothing to curb her friends actions.)

“Yeah,” he replied, fingers running through Lotor’s hair. Lotor’s hair was fun to play with, soft as silk in his hands, and long to boot. “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me, dear. Your friends are the ones who organize everything.”

“Not what I was thanking you for,” Keith mumbled.

Lotor sighed, placing the book down and turning around in Keith’s arms. “If you are thanking me for what I think you are, then there is still no need to thank me,” he cupped the other’s cheeks, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. “My love for you is never something you must feel obligated to thank for. I give it to you freely because you have earned it, not out of obligation.”

Keith’s face flushed red, and he would have looked away if Lotor wasn’t holding him fast, “I-I know that. I just…”

“I know, dear.”

It was hard. So much positivity in one day was grand, and should be the norm for them both, but it wasn’t. Neither of them had grown up with much love, for different reasons, mind you, but all the same.

“I would get hit by a flying slushie a thousand times over, if it meant you would stand by my side.”

That got Keith out of his mood, groaning as he rolled away from Lotor. “ _ Lotty, _ ” he whined.

“Blue raspberry, black cherry, banana, fruit punch,” he began listing the different flavors of the frozen concoction, following after Keith to cuddle him as the other groaned, “a million times over.”

“It was an  _ accident. _ I was aiming for Lance…”

“Of course, of course. You were in no way trying to seduce me with your poor throwing skills.”

“I didn’t even know you were there!”

Neither of them had known it’d be a day to remember, but it was. Lance, bothering Keith. Keith, getting fed up, chasing Lance. That falling through, grabbing the other’s slushie, taking aim, not knowing that Lotor was about to walk around the corner with his friends. Throwing, right as Lance waved his hands to tell him no, right as Lotor rounded the corner.

The clothes from that day had been ruined. It had been worth it, even at the time, to have the astronomy and physics prodigy, running over to him to apologize, sputtering and stammering as he tried to explain himself. Then getting defensive when Lotor said something, misinterpreted, that resulted in Keith taking  _ Lance’s  _ slushy, and purposely dumping it on him.

Good times. Good times. Even if Zethrid and him nearly got into a brawl afterwards. Worth it, every day it was worth it.

“I cherish you,” Lotor said in lieu of continuing the memories, hugging Keith from behind. The past was charming, but their present held Lotor’s heart.

Keith shuffled, turning to kiss Lotor before snuggling close, “I love you too.”

Birthdays were always an up and down experience throughout Keith’s life, but each year was worth it if he got to fall asleep in Lotor’s arms, his friends well wishes in the back of his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at [MizuLeKitten](https://mizulekitten.tumblr.com)
> 
> And the exchange tumblr at [Keith-Birthday-Exchange](https://keith-birthday-exchange.tumblr.com/)


End file.
